Cleveland Indians shut out Kansas City Royals for third straight win

By

Jim Ingraham, The Sports Xchange

Cleveland Indians Yan Gomes hits a grand slam during the second inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Cleveland Indians Yan Gomes is greeted at home plate by teammates Brandon Guyer, (6) Yandy Diaz and Bradley Zimmer after hitting a grand slam during the second inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Kansas City Royals Onelki Garcia looks down after giving up a grand slam to Cleveland Indians Yan Gomes during the third inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Kansas City Royals Alcides Escobar (L) attempts to throw over teammate Cheslor Cuthbert on a hit by Cleveland Indians Brandon Guyer during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Kansas City Royals Onelki Garcia stands on the mound during the playing of God Bless America in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Kansas City Royals Whit Merrifield looks up into the crowd during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Cleveland Indians Carlos Carrasco pitches during the first inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor hits a two run home run during the second inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor watches his hit leave the park for a two run home run during the second inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on August 27, 2017. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo

CLEVELAND -- When the team that has thrown the most shutouts in the major leagues faces the team that has been shut out more than any team in the majors, this is what can happen.

Yan Gomes capped Cleveland's nine-run, three-homer second inning with a grand slam as the Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 12-0 victory on Sunday at Progressive Field.

The Indians shut out Kansas City in all three games of the series: 4-0, 4-0, and 12-0.

The Indians have won four games in a row. Cleveland pitchers, who lead the majors with 15 shutouts, have pitched 28 consecutive scoreless innings, their longest such streak since a 31-inning scoreless streak in June 2008.

Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana also homered in Cleveland's second inning, when the Indians sent 12 men to the plate. By the end of the second inning, every player in Cleveland's starting lineup had scored at least one run.

The beneficiary of all that offense was starter Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (13-6), who pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.

"Our guys did a really good job," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "These kinds of days don't happen very often, but it's a heck of a lot better not being on the receiving end, because we've been there, too."

Eric Skoglund (1-2), who was starting in place of injured Danny Duffy, took the loss. Skoglund pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs and seven hits.

"We caught a break because Duffy is really good," Francona said. "We got a guy (Skoglund) who was not fully stretched out. We kept at him."

It didn't take the Indians long to blow the game open. Lindor led off the bottom of the first with a walk. He went to second on a single by Austin Jackson and scored on a double by Jose Ramirez. A single by Brandon Guyer drove in Ramirez to make it 3-0 after one inning.

Cleveland knocked Skoglund out of the game with a nine-run, seven-hit, three-home run second inning in which Lindor and Gomes were a combined 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs.

The rally began with a leadoff single by Gomes, who then scored on Lindor's 24th home run, the second most by a shortstop in Indians history. Asdrubal Cabrera hit 25 in 2011.

Jackson doubled to left field and Ramirez popped out for the first out. Edwin Encarnacion drew a walk and Skoglund was replaced by reliever Onelki Garcia.

Santana greeted Garcia with a three-run homer off the left field foul pole to make it 8-0. Guyer reached on an infield single, Yandy Diaz walked and Bradley Zimmer's infield single loaded the bases.

Gomes then blasted his second career grand slam, a towering fly ball over the left field wall and the Indians' lead became 12-0.

"Take away the first two innings and we're still out there playing," a half-joking Yost said. "It was one of those games. It got away from us early, and we couldn't do anything offensively."

The lone bright spot for Kansas City was Garcia. Even though he gave up five runs, he pitched 5 2/3 innings.

"He saved our bullpen," Yost said.

NOTES: There have been six pairs of back-to-back shutouts by teams in the majors this year and the Indians have three of them. The Indians blanked the Royals 4-0 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday. Cleveland leads the majors with 14 shutouts overall. ... Indians closer RHP Cody Allen (370) needs two more appearances to pass Rafael Betancourt (371) for eighth place on the Indians' career list for games pitched. ... Royals SS Alcides Escobar started his 300th consecutive game on Sunday -- the longest streak in Royals history. Escobar's streak began Sept. 26, 2015. ... RHP Ian Kennedy will start for Kansas City on Monday at Kauffman Stadium against Tampa Bay. Kennedy is winless in his last 16 home starts. His last home win came Aug. 20, 2016, vs. Minnesota. Kennedy's winless streak at home is the longest (in starts) in Royals history.